Download or read book Inspired written by Rachel Held Evans and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2018-06-12 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If the Bible isn't a science book or an instruction manual, what is it? What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? When New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans found herself asking these questions, she embarked on a journey to better understand what the Bible is and how it's meant to be read. What she discovered changed her--and it can change you, too. Evans knows firsthand how a relationship with the Bible can be as real and as complicated as a relationship with a family member or close friend. In Inspired, Evans explores contradictions and questions from her own experiences with the Bible, including: If the Bible was supposed to explain the mysteries of life, why does it leave the reader with so many questions? What does it mean to be chosen by God? To what degree did the Holy Spirit guide the preservation of these narratives, and is there something sacred to be uncovered beneath all these human fingerprints? If the Bible has given voice to the oppressed, why is it also used as justification by their oppressors? Drawing on the best in biblical scholarship and using her well-honed literary expertise, Evans examines some of our favorite Bible stories and possible interpretations, retelling them through memoir, original poetry, short stories, and even a short screenplay. Undaunted by the Bible's most difficult passages and unafraid to ask the hard questions, Evans wrestles through the process of doubting, imagining, and debating the mysteries surrounding Scripture. Discover alongside Evans that the Bible is not a static text, but a living, breathing, captivating, and confounding book that can equip us and inspire us to join God's loving and redemptive work in the world.

Download or read book 40 Days of Decrease written by Alicia Britt Chole and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2016-01-05 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What if you fasted regret? What if your friends fasted comparison? What if your generation fasted escapism? What if your community fasted spectatorship? Trigger a spiritual revolution with this daily devotional for Lent. Decrease life's unnecessary details and increase your relationship with the Lord so you can live in awe of Christ's resurrection! 40 Days of Decrease is a guide for those hungering for a fresh Lenten/Easter experience. Dr. Alicia Britt Chole guides you through a study of Jesus’ uncommon and uncomfortable call to abandon the world’s illusions, embrace His kingdom’s realities, and journey cross-ward and beyond. Containing readings, refection questions, daily fasts, ancient quotes, and more, each day offers a meaningful consideration of Jesus’ journey and then invites you into a daily fast of heart-clutter—the stuff that sticks to your soul and weighs you down. You can begin your forty-day journey any time of the year, but you may find it especially meaningful as a Lenten preparation to live in awe of Jesus’ resurrection. Each daily, 1000-word entry includes a: Devotion based on Jesus’ life Reflection question to guide journaling or group discussion Heart fast to inspire a tangible response Thought-provoking Lenten quote Optional sidebar into the historical development of Lent Suggested reading that takes you from John 12 to John 21 Journaling space for reflection In the same way self cannot satisfy self no matter how long it feasts, self cannot starve self no matter how long it fasts. Decrease—like increase—is only holy when its destination is love. Dare to live awed by Christ’s resurrection!

Download or read book Finding Her Friends written by Alisa Hope Wagner and published by . This book was released on 2020-07-14 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tale of Laia, the Butterfly Princess, is a body image parable for children that inspires them to embrace the uniqueness of their design. Follow Laia as she explores unknown lands and finds friends who have body differences like her own. Laia's continuing story encourages all children to discover diverse friends in unlikely places.

Download or read book Shameless written by Nadia Bolz-Weber and published by Convergent Books. This book was released on 2019-01-29 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Raw, intimate, and timely—a no-holds-barred celebration of our bodies that flies in the face of antiquated ideas about sex and gender. “A triumph.”—Glennon Doyle • “One of the most important, life-changing books I’ve ever read.”—Rachel Held Evans, author of Searching for Sunday and Inspired Negative messages about sex come from all corners of society: from the church, from the media, from our own families. As a result, countless people have suffered pain, guilt, and judgment. In this instant bestseller, Nadia Bolz-Weber unleashes her critical eye and her vulnerable yet hopeful soul on the harmful conversations about sex that have fed our shame. Bolz-Weber offers no simple amendments or polite compromises. Instead, this modern-day reverend calls for an inclusivity that empowers us to be loyal to people and, perhaps most important, ourselves. “Christianity is not a program for avoiding mistakes,” she writes. “It is a faith of the guilty.” With an alternative understanding of Scripture passages that have been weaponized against Christians for decades, Bolz-Weber reminds us that sexual flourishing can and should be for all genders, all bodies, and all humans. She shares stories, poetry, and Scripture that wage war on perpetual anxiety around sex by celebrating sexuality in all its forms and recognizing it for the gift that it is. If you’ve been mistreated, confused, angered, and/or wounded by shaming sexual messages, this one is for you.

Download or read book The Wellness Revelation written by Alisa Keeton and published by NavPress. This book was released on 2017-08-08 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What would it take for you to make a change? Weight loss can sometimes be a very self-focused endeavor. Maybe you have struggled with your weight your entire life, riding a constant roller coaster of numbers that go up and down. Or maybe you are finding yourself more stressed out by the world and all its demands. Perhaps you just don’t feel as well in your body as you do in your spirit. In The Wellness Revelation, certified fitness professional Alisa Keeton will challenge you to get fit with God so that He can free you to complete your purpose. She teaches that when we get fit physically as well as spiritually, we will be better equipped to love and serve others. The Wellness Revelation will change the way you perceive yourself and the way that you live your life. Each week in this eight-week journey includes a teaching from Alisa, weekly assignments, Bible study, small-group questions, and more. Alisa will encourage you to love God, get healthy, and serve others; and she will provide you with the tools to spread the gospel with courage, confidence, kindness, and freedom. It’s time to make a change from the inside out.

Download or read book The Sacred Slow written by Alicia Britt Chole and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2017-09-26 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tired of quick fixes and fast faith? The Sacred Slow is an invitation to unhurried honesty before God. If yesterday’s word was simple, tomorrow’s word will be slow. Our culture is shifting from fast food to healthy food both physically and spiritually. Self-care, soul-care, life coaches, and spiritual retreats all show our dissatisfaction in quick fixes and fast faith. The Sacred Slow is an invitation to unhurried honesty before God. Formatted as 52 experiences, The Sacred Slow reminds readers on every page that God never wanted to use them—He always wanted to love them. The overflow of Dr. Alicia Britt Chole’s more than thirty years as a spiritual mentor to leaders and learners as well as her personal, practical, and penetrating tone will guide you to a richer, more life-giving relationship with God. Perfect for use as a devotional or in small groups, each chapter features: A short, unexpected reading Two options for application—a thought focus or a heart exercise Encouragement to develop growing, sustainable intimacy with God Whether you’re exhausted by emptiness or worn from weariness, you’ll discover healing and restoration in these pages. In this age of distraction, learn to slow down and reorient your life to learn, grow, and experience God as never before.

Download or read book Reckless Christianity written by Holly Pivec and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2023-12-21 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bethel Church in Redding, California, is one of the most popular and polarizing churches in America. Home to the award-winning Bethel Music label, its songs are among the most used in churches. Thousands of people visit the church each year, drawn by reports of miraculous healings, the manifestation of a glittering Glory Cloud, and other miracles. They’re convinced that the church is at the forefront of an end-time movement that is restoring miraculous power to the church-at-large and “bringing heaven to earth.” Yet others are concerned that Bethel has left the boundaries of Scripture and brought its followers into a dangerously speculative and experience-driven faith. They say that, in the name of training miracle workers, Bethel has introduced hazardous, perhaps even occultic, practices into the church. This has resulted in chaos, confusion, and damaged lives. In this book we examine the controversial teachings of the “Bethel Church Movement,” as it is called, which has transformed modern Christian practice, culture, and worship. We show its place in the broader New Apostolic Reformation, a worldwide movement of “apostles” and “prophets” intent on reconstructing the mission and the message of the Christian church.

Download or read book Another Gospel written by Alisa Childers and published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. This book was released on 2020-10-06 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “This may be the most influential book you will read this year.” —Lee Strobel, bestselling author of The Case for Miracles A Movement Seeks to Redefine Christianity. Some Think that It Is a Much-Needed Progressive Reformation. Others Believe that It Is an Attack on Historic Christianity. Alisa Childers never thought she would question her Christian faith. She was raised in a Christian home, where she had seen her mom and dad feed the hungry, clothe the homeless, and love the outcast. She had witnessed God at work and then had dedicated her own life to leading worship, as part of the popular Christian band ZOEgirl. All that was deeply challenged when she met a progressive pastor, who called himself a hopeful agnostic. Another Gospel? describes the intellectual journey Alisa took over several years as she wrestled with a series of questions that struck at the core of the Christian faith. After everything she had ever believed about God, Jesus, and the Bible had been picked apart, she found herself at the brink of despair . . . until God rescued her, helping her to rebuild her faith, one solid brick at a time. In a culture of endless questions, you need solid answers. If you or someone you love has encountered the ideas of progressive Christianity and aren’t sure how to respond, Alisa’s journey will show you how to determine—and rest in—what’s unmistakably true.

Download or read book Following God Onto the Stage written by Alisa Wagner and published by . This book was released on 2017-02-08 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Competing in a bodybuilding competition is just one of many ways we can achieve victory by digging into God's strength. Train with Alisa Hope Wagner in her 40-day devotional journey about following God onto the stage!

Download or read book A Way with Words written by Daniel Darling and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2020-08-18 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social media was made to bring us together. But few things have driven us further apart. Sadly, many Christians are fueling online incivility. Others, exhausted by perpetual outrage and shame-filled from constant comparison, are leaving social media altogether. So, how should Christians behave in this digital age? Is there a better way? Daniel Darling believes we need an approach that applies biblical wisdom to our engagement with social media, an approach that neither retreats from modern technology nor ignores the harmful ways in which Christians often engage publicly. In short, he believes that we can and should use our online conversations for good.

Download or read book The Universal Christ written by Richard Rohr and published by Convergent Books. This book was released on 2019-03-05 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From one of the world’s most influential spiritual thinkers, a long-awaited book exploring what it means that Jesus was called “Christ,” and how this forgotten truth can restore hope and meaning to our lives. “Anyone who strives to put their faith into action will find encouragement and inspiration in the pages of this book.”—Melinda Gates In his decades as a globally recognized teacher, Richard Rohr has helped millions realize what is at stake in matters of faith and spirituality. Yet Rohr has never written on the most perennially talked about topic in Christianity: Jesus. Most know who Jesus was, but who was Christ? Is the word simply Jesus’s last name? Too often, Rohr writes, our understandings have been limited by culture, religious debate, and the human tendency to put ourselves at the center. Drawing on scripture, history, and spiritual practice, Rohr articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of God’s constant, unfolding work in the world. “God loves things by becoming them,” he writes, and Jesus’s life was meant to declare that humanity has never been separate from God—except by its own negative choice. When we recover this fundamental truth, faith becomes less about proving Jesus was God, and more about learning to recognize the Creator’s presence all around us, and in everyone we meet. Thought-provoking, practical, and full of deep hope and vision, The Universal Christ is a landmark book from one of our most beloved spiritual writers, and an invitation to contemplate how God liberates and loves all that is.

Download or read book A More Christlike God written by Bradley Jersak and published by Plain Truth Ministries. This book was released on 2015-09-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether our notions of ‘god’ are personal projections or inherited traditions, author and theologian Brad Jersak proposes a radical reassessment, arguing for A More Christlike God: a More Beautiful Gospel. If Christ is “the image of the invisible God, the radiance of God’s glory and exact representation of God’s likeness,” what if we conceived of God as completely Christlike—the perfect Incarnation of self-giving, radically forgiving, co-suffering love? What if God has always been and forever will be ‘cruciform’ (cross-shaped) in his character and actions? A More Christlike God suggests that such a God would be very good news indeed—a God who Jesus “unwrathed” from dead religion, a Love that is always toward us, and a Grace that pours into this suffering world through willing, human partners.

Download or read book To Hell with the Hustle written by Jefferson Bethke and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2019-10-15 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a society where hustle is the expectation, busyness is the norm, and constant information is king, we've forgotten the fundamentals that make us human, anchor our lives, and provide meaning. Jefferson Bethke, New York Times bestselling author and popular YouTuber, has lived the hustle and knows we must stop doing and start becoming. Our culture makes constant demands of us: Do more. Accomplish more. Buy more. Post more. Be more. In following these demands, we have indeed become more: More anxious. More tired. More hurt. More depressed. More frantic. But it doesn't have to be that way. To Hell with the Hustle is your wake-up call to slow down and reclaim your life in an overworked, overspent, and overconnected world. If you're feeling overwhelmed with the demands of work, family and community or if you're tired of being anxious, lonely, and burned out, To Hell with the Hustle will give you the tools you need to: Proactively set boundaries in your life Get comfortable with obscurity Find the best way to push back against the demands of contemporary life Discover the importance of embracing silence and solitude Handle the stressors that life throws at us Join Bethke as he discovers that the very things the world teaches us to avoid at all costs--silence, obscurity, solitude, and vulnerability--are the very things that can give us the meaning, the peace, and the richness we're truly seeking. Praise for To Hell with the Hustle: "Ever feel like you need to work harder, put in more time to get ahead, or do everything in your power to be the best? That's the hustle. It can push you to places you don’t want to go, and I've gone there more than I care to admit. In his latest book, To Hell with the Hustle, Jefferson Bethke will help you understand why the hustle can seem so alluring, show you how to avoid the traps it's created in our culture, and find true joy chasing after Christ instead." --Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life. Church and New York Times bestselling author

Download or read book Live in Love written by Lauren Akins and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2020-08-18 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this refreshing and inspiring memoir, Lauren Akins, the wife of country music star Thomas Rhett, shows what it’s really like to be “the perfect couple” fans imagine, and reveals what it actually takes to live in love, stay in love, and grow together. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY PARADE When country music star Thomas Rhett won the ACM Award for Single of the Year with “Die a Happy Man,” his wife, Lauren Akins, was overjoyed. Her childhood best friend and now husband was being anointed the hottest new star in country music—for a song he had written about her. He was living his dream. Lauren was elated, but she was also wrestling with some big questions, not the least of which was, How can I live my own life of purpose? Lauren Akins never wanted to be in the spotlight, but as Thomas Rhett made his relationship with Lauren the subject of many of his hit songs, she was tossed into the role of one of America’s sweethearts. Revered by fans for her down-to-earth ease and charm, her commitment to humanitarian work, and the pure love she exudes for her family, Lauren has never shared her side of their story—full as it’s been with deep love, painful loss, tremendous joy, and a struggle to stay grounded in faith along the way—until now. In Live in Love, Lauren shares details about her childhood friendship with Thomas Rhett, explaining how they reconnected as young adults. She offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of being married to her best friend, who just happens to be a music star, and the struggle to find her own footing in the frenzy of her husband’s fame. And in heart-wrenching detail, she opens up about her life-changing experiences doing mission work in Haiti, and then in Uganda, where she met the precious baby who would become their first daughter. From sharing the romance of their handwritten wedding vows to the challenges they faced as they adjusted to the reality of becoming first-time parents, Live in Love takes an intimate look at one couple’s life—and opens a window into all of our journeys on the path to self-discovery. Live in Love is a deeply personal memoir that offers inspiring guidance for anyone looking to keep romance alive, balance children and marriage, express true faith, and live a life of purpose.

Download or read book Relativism written by Francis J. Beckwith and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 1998-10 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A critique of moral relativism, the belief that there exists no objective moral standards that apply to every place, person, and time.

Download or read book God Gave Rock and Roll to You written by Leah Payne and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2024 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By combining musical styles young people loved with the wholesomeness their parents wanted, Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) became a multimillion-dollar industry. In this book, author Leah Payne traces the history of contemporary Christian music in America and, in the process, demonstrates how the industry, its artists, and its fans shaped--and continue to shape--conservative, (mostly) white, Protestant evangelicalism.

Download or read book Biscuit s Day at the Farm written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2011-05-31 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For fans of Clifford and Spot, welcome everybody’s favorite little yellow puppy, Biscuit, in an I Can Read adventure! Woof, woof! Come along, Biscuit! Join Biscuit at the farm. Biscuit is going to help out on the farm today and can’t wait to feed all of the farm animals. He makes friends with the hens, the geese, and even an eager little piglet who wants to follow him everywhere! Biscuit’s Day at the Farm, a My First I Can Read book, is carefully crafted using basic language, word repetition, sight words, and sweet illustrations—which means it's perfect for shared reading with emergent readers.